The present invention relates to a fiber reinforced metal alloy having a high heat resistance, which is especially suited for use as a material for structural components of machines and also to the method for the manufacture thereof.
Hitherto, various types of fiber reinforced metal alloys (FRM) comprising a metal matrix and reinforcement fibers have been proposed. These fiber reinforced metal alloys are composite material wherein the metal matrix comprises, for example, aluminum or titanium and the fiber reinforcement comprises, for example, carbon fibers, silica carbide fibers, boron fibers or alumina fibers. Both the heat resistance and the heat insulating property of any one of these fiber reinforced metal alloys are not so high and, accordingly, they are not suited for use as a material for component parts operable in the high temperature environment, such as, for example, conveyor rolls installed inside a heating furnace for the transportation of materials to be heat-treated and those for the transportation of hot rolled strips.
As a method for the manufacture of the fiber reinforced metal alloy, a liquid phase method is known wherein a melt of metal is poured so as to flow into the interstices among the reinforcement fibers. This liquid phase method is being watched because the process of making a composite structure does not take a long time as compared with that according to a diffusion bonding method which is another method for the manufacture of the fiber reinforced metal alloy. Although the liquid phase method can be classified into melt-penetration process, vacuum casting process and melt-casting process, all of these methods are not satisfactory, and therefore have not been practised on an industrial scale, because none of them give a sufficient productivity.